Einhard (c. 775-840) was a Frankish scholar and courtier who served Charlemagne and his son Louis the Pious. Born into a family of landowners, he was educated at the monastery of Fulda, one of the most important centers of learning in the Frankish kingdom. Due to his small stature, which limited his ability in riding and sword-fighting, Einhard devoted himself entirely to scholarship, particularly mastering Latin. Around 791, he joined Charlemagne’s court, where the emperor had gathered leading scholars under the direction of Alcuin of York. Einhard proved to be a talented architect and construction manager, overseeing the completion of several palace complexes including Aachen and Ingelheim. After Charlemagne’s death in 814, Louis the Pious appointed him as private secretary, a position he held until retiring from court in 830.

Einhard’s most famous work is his biography of Charlemagne, the Vita Caroli Magni (c. 817-836), which provides invaluable direct information about the emperor's life and character. Modeled on Suetonius’s Lives of the Caesars, the work is nonetheless entirely Einhard’s own, adapting classical models for his purposes. Written as a tribute to Charlemagne, whom Einhard regarded as a foster-father, the biography contains an understandable degree of bias, glossing over certain embarrassing matters while candidly addressing others. Einhard also composed a collection of letters, accounts of miracles associated with saints Marcellinus and Peter, and a treatise On the Adoration of the Cross.

We are reading an excerpt from the Vita Caroli Magni, one of the key texts of the Carolingian Renaissance and a masterpiece of medieval Latin biography. The style is clear and elegant, reflecting the revival of classical Latin standards championed by Charlemagne’s court. The passage describes Charlemagne’s physique and dress preferences, so prepare to learn lots of different nouns, adjectives, and expressions needed to describe a person. Then try describing your friend in a similar manner!

The level has been defined as intermediate, so not all details are described in the analysis, just the tricky ones.

I hope you will enjoy this month’s reading and gladly drop by for more!

TEXT

Corpore fuit amplo atque robusto, statura eminenti, quae tamen iustam non excederet – nam septem suorum pedum proceritatem eius constat habuisse mensuram – apice capitis rotundo, oculis praegrandibus ac vegetis, naso paululum mediocritatem excedenti, canitie pulchra, facie laeta et hilari. Unde formae auctoritas ac dignitas tam stanti quam sedenti plurima adquirebatur; quamquam cervix obesa et brevior venterque proiectior videretur, tamen haec ceterorum membrorum celabat aequalitas. Incessu firmo totaque corporis habitudine virili; voce clara quidem, sed quae minus corporis formae conveniret.

Valitudine prospera, praeter quod, antequam decederet, per quatuor annos crebro febribus corripiebatur, ad extremum etiam uno pede claudicaret. Et tunc quidem plura suo arbitratu quam medicorum consilio faciebat, quos poene exosos habebat, quod ei in cibis assa, quibus assuetus erat, dimittere et elixis adsuescere suadebant.

Exercebatur assidue equitando ac venando; quod illi gentilicium erat, quia vix ulla in terris natio invenitur, quae in hac arte Francis possit aequari.

Delectabatur etiam vaporibus aquarum naturaliter calentium, frequenti natatu corpus exercens; cuius adeo peritus fuit, ut nullus ei iuste valeat anteferri. Ob hoc etiam Aquisgrani regiam exstruxit ibique extremis vitae annis usque ad obitum perpetim habitavit. Et non solum filios ad balneum, verum optimates et amicos, aliquando etiam satellitum et custodum corporis turbam invitavit, ita ut nonnumquam centum vel eo amplius homines una lavarentur.

Vestitu patrio, id est Francico, utebatur. Ad corpus camisam lineam, et feminalibus lineis induebatur, deinde tunicam, quae limbo serico ambiebatur, et tibialia; tum fasciolis crura et pedes calciamentis constringebat et ex pellibus lutrinis vel murinis thorace confecto umeros ac pectus hieme muniebat, sago veneto amictus et gladio semper accinctus, cuius capulus ac balteus aut aureus aut argenteus erat. Aliquoties et gemmato ense utebatur, quod tamen nonnisi in praecipuis festivitatibus vel si quando exterarum gentium legati venissent. Peregrina vero indumenta, quamvis pulcherrima, respuebat nec umquam eis indui patiebatur, excepto quod Romae semel Hadriano pontifice petente et iterum Leone successore eius supplicante longa tunica et clamide amictus, calceis quoque Romano more formatis induebatur. In festivitatibus veste auro texta et calciamentis gemmatis et fibula aurea sagum adstringente, diademate quoque ex auro et gemmis ornatus incedebat. Aliis autem diebus habitus eius parum a communi ac plebeio abhorrebat.

ANALYSIS

Corpore fuit amplo atque robusto, statura eminenti, quae tamen iustam non excederet – nam septem suorum pedum proceritatem eius constat habuisse mensuram – apice capitis rotundo, oculis praegrandibus ac vegetis, naso paululum mediocritatem excedenti, canitie pulchra, facie laeta et hilari. 

statūra, -ae, f. – stature, height

ēminēns, -entis – prominent, outstanding

proceritās, -ātis, f. – tallness, height

mēnsūra, -ae, f. – measure

apex, apicis, m. – top, crown (of the head)

praegrandis, -e – very large

vegetus, -a, -um – lively, vigorous

mediocritās, -ātis, f. – moderation, average (without the derogatory meaning of mediocre)

canitiēs, -ēī, f. – grey hair

hilāris, -e – cheerful (rather than hilarious )

Notes:

1) The passage swarms with ablatives as it describes the physical qualities of Charlemagne.

2) The relative clause beginning with “tamen” has imperfect subjunctive “excederet” as it is a relative clause of characteristic presenting the quality as conceived, evaluated, or framed by the author, not as a bare datum.

Unde formae auctoritas ac dignitas tam stanti quam sedenti plurima adquirebatur; quamquam cervix obesa et brevior venterque proiectior videretur, tamen haec ceterorum membrorum celabat aequalitas. Incessu firmo totaque corporis habitudine virili; voce clara quidem, sed quae minus corporis formae conveniret.

auctōritās, -ātis, f. – authority, dignity

adquīrō, -ere, adquīsīvī, adquīsītum – accrue (this appearance added a lot to his authority)

plurima – accusative neuter plural used addverbially (expressing degree, extent, intensity)

obēsus, -a, -um – stout, corpulent (not obese!)

venter, ventris, m. – belly

proiectior – more projecting (comparative of proiectus)

aequālitās, -ātis, f. – here: symmetry, proportionality

incessus, -ūs, m. – gait, manner of walking

habitus, -ūs, m. – bearing, build

Notes:

1) The subject changes across the passage. With the sentence beginning with “Incessu firmo…,” Einhard returns to the description mode with ablatives, yet skips “erat” – Charlemagne is again the subject of the sentence.

2) There is again imperfect subjunctive – conveniret – compare it with “excederet” in the previous passage.

Valitudine prospera, praeter quod, antequam decederet, per quatuor annos crebro febribus corripiebatur, ad extremum etiam uno pede claudicaret. Et tunc quidem plura suo arbitratu quam medicorum consilio faciebat, quos poene exosos habebat, quod ei in cibis assa, quibus assuetus erat, dimittere et elixis adsuescere suadebant.

valitūdō, -inis, f. – state of health

corripiō, -ere, corripuī, correptum – seize, afflict

claudicō, -āre – limp

arbitrātus, -ūs, m. – judgment, personal choice or opinion

exōsus, -a, -um – hated

assa, -ōrum, n. – roasted foods

ēlixus, -a, -um – boiled

adsuēscō, -ere, adsuēvī – become accustomed

Notes:

1) The passage again starts with an ablative of description without “erat”, the subject is Charlemagne.

2) “praeter quod” introduces an exception to his state of health, as in the last four years of his life he was often seized by fevers and latterly limped on one foot

3) “suo arbitratu … medicorum consilio” ablatives of means or instrument, here used to indicate a guiding principle or basis of action (“according to”)

Exercebatur assidue equitando ac venando; quod illi gentilicium erat, quia vix ulla in terris natio invenitur, quae in hac arte Francis possit aequari. Delectabatur etiam vaporibus aquarum naturaliter calentium, frequenti natatu corpus exercens; cuius adeo peritus fuit, ut nullus ei iuste valeat anteferri. Ob hoc etiam Aquisgrani regiam exstruxit ibique extremis vitae annis usque ad obitum perpetim habitavit. Et non solum filios ad balneum, verum optimates et amicos, aliquando etiam satellitum et custodum corporis turbam invitavit, ita ut nonnumquam centum vel eo amplius homines una lavarentur.

gentilīcium, -ī, n. – characteristic of a people

aequō, -āre – be equal to

vāpor, -ōris, m. – steam, vapour (sauna)

natātus, -ūs m. – swimming

anteferō, -ferre, antetulī, antelātum – prefer, here: excell

optimātēs, -um, m.pl. – nobles

satellēs, -itis, m. – attendant, retainer

custos corporis – bodyguard

Notes:

1) “equitando ac venando” – ablative of means expressed by gerunds: “by horseriding and hunting”

2) “delectabatur” – note that it takes ablative to express the source of enjoyment

3) “adeo peritus fuit, ut nullus ei iuste valeat anteferri” – the clause with “ut” is not one of purpose, but of general result (he was not that skilled in order not to be surpassed by anyone, but was so skilled that nobody could surpass him). Even though there is perfect tense in the main clause, the subjunctive can be in the present because it is a comparison of general validity.

4) “ita quod… lavarentur” – imperfect subjunctive in a result clause with repetitive action

Vestitu patrio, id est Francico, utebatur. Ad corpus camisam lineam, et feminalibus lineis induebatur, deinde tunicam, quae limbo serico ambiebatur, et tibialia; tum fasciolis crura et pedes calciamentis constringebat et ex pellibus lutrinis vel murinis thorace confecto umeros ac pectus hieme muniebat, sago veneto amictus et gladio semper accinctus, cuius capulus ac balteus aut aureus aut argenteus erat. Aliquoties et gemmato ense utebatur, quod tamen nonnisi in praecipuis festivitatibus vel si quando exterarum gentium legati venissent.

vestītus, -ūs, m. – clothing, dress; outward appearance (often with ūtor in ablative)

patrius, -a, -um – ancestral, native

femīnālēs, -ium, m. pl. – trousers, undergarments

induō, induere, induī, indūtus – to put on, clothe (often passive with reflexive sense)

limbus, -ī, m. – hem, border

sericus, -a, -um – silk, silken

ambiō, ambīre, ambīvī, ambītus – to surround, encircle

tibiālia, -ium, n. pl. – leggings, hose

fasciola, -ae, f. – strap, band

lūtrina, -ae, f. – otter

mūrīnus, -a, -um – marten-fur / mouse-coloured (fur term)

thorāx, -ācis, m. – breastplate, here: cuirass, as meant to protect from cold, not wounds

conficio, conficere, confēcī, confectus – to make, fashion

sagum, -ī, n. – military cloak

Venētus, -a, -um – Venetian (implying luxury)

amiciō, amīcīre, amīcuī, amictus – to wrap, cloak (here: “clad in a Venetian cloak”)

accingō, accingere, accīnxī, accīnctus – to gird, equip

capulus, -ī, m. – sword hilt

balteus, -ī, m. – sword-belt, baldric

ensis, -is, m. – sword (elevated / poetic synonym of gladius)

praecipuus, -a, -um – special, exceptional

exterus, -a, -um – foreign

Notes:

1) “thorace confecto” – avoid the trap to see it as an ablative absolute. It does not replace a clause, but describes a cuirass made of otter or marten fur, and with it Charlemagne covered his shoulders and chest in winter. 

2) “si… venissent” – pluperfect subjunctive describing a potential circumstance in the past (“should envoys have come”)

Peregrina vero indumenta, quamvis pulcherrima, respuebat nec umquam eis indui patiebatur, excepto quod Romae semel Hadriano pontifice petente et iterum Leone successore eius supplicante longa tunica et clamide amictus, calceis quoque Romano more formatis induebatur. In festivitatibus veste auro texta et calciamentis gemmatis et fibula aurea sagum adstringente, diademate quoque ex auro et gemmis ornatus incedebat. Aliis autem diebus habitus eius parum a communi ac plebeio abhorrebat.

peregrīnus, -a, -um – foreign, non-native

respuō, -ere, respūī, respūtum – to reject, spurn

clamys, -ydis, f. – cloak, mantle

texō, -ere, texuī, textum – to weave

fibula, -ae, f. – clasp, brooch

adstringō, -ere, adstrīnxī, adstrictum – to fasten, bind

diadēma, -atis, n. – diadem, crown

incedō, -ere, incessī, incessum – to walk, proceed

habitus, -ūs m. – here: dress, appearance

plēbēius, -a, -um – plebeian, ordinary, plain

abhorrēō, -ēre, -uī – to differ, be far removed

Notes:

1) “Hadriano pontifice petente… Leone successore eius supplicante” – ablatives abolutes, temporal or causal (when/because)

2) In the second sentence, starting with “In festivitatibus”, there is an abundance of ablatives – distinguish carefully which of them are absolutes, and which simply ablatives of means and description using participles.